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Tara C. Smith is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology. Her research involves a number of pathogens at the animal-human nexus. Additionally, she is the founder of Iowa Citizens for Science and also writes for The Panda's Thumb and previously for WIRED SCIENCE's Correlations. Please note the views expressed on this site are Dr. Smith's alone and may not be representative of the groups mentioned above.
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Category: Infectious disease • Public health • Skepticism
Posted on: October 1, 2008 3:00 PM, by Tara C. Smith
Just in time for the introduction of Autism's False Prophets by Dr. Paul Offit (the current choice for Scienceblogs' book club), Jenny McCarthy comes out with yet another interview decrying vaccines, blaming autism on the greed of pharmaceutical companies, and how her son was "healed" from autism by his diet, vitamins, and "detoxing".
I'll have a review of Dr. Offit's book up later this week. In the meantime, you can read what he says about it over at the Scienceblogs' Book Club page.
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Comments
Have you not heard that milk also causes autism (trying not to chuckle)? This is a new finding that PETA just announced two days ago with a billboard campaign in New York. See here for their ad: http://www.peta.org/feat_autism.asp
Posted by: Nathan | October 1, 2008 3:54 PM
On a related (?) note, there is a story on abcnews.go.com saying that Peta has erected a billboard in Newark, NJ, that says "Studies have shown a link between cow's milk and autism."
The article goes on to say "The animal rights group cites two studies by researchers at the University of Rome as reason for the purported "link," even though the studies themselves do not prove any connection between milk and autism."
According to the headline of the article,
"PETA Campaign Angers Autism Groups"
Sigh.
Posted by: Dean | October 1, 2008 3:55 PM
Sorry - when I began my post Nathan's hadn't yet appeared on my computer. I apologize for duplicating his.
Posted by: Dean | October 1, 2008 3:56 PM
Orac checks in on the PETA files.
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/09/peta_even_more_impossible_to_parody_than.php
Posted by: notmercury | October 1, 2008 5:01 PM
The Stupid, It Burns
Posted by: The Science Pundit | October 1, 2008 6:49 PM
Were I at all concerned about vaccines causing autism, the expert I would seek out would be Jenny McCarthy. Why? I cannot reveal my reasons (which would surely result in my being stoned to death by feminists), but they would have nothing to do with Jenny's intellectual prowess.
Seriously, though, why do the media pander to celebrities who espouse the wackiest ideas? And why does the public even pay attention? Fame does not make one an expert in much of anything, generally.
I am happy for her son that he is no longer apparently autistic. I have taught a formerly autistic teenager. His parents (both rabbis, BTW) spent years bringing him out of his autistic state. To my knowledge, he was allowed to drink milk. He had his vaccinations. And he never went through a "detox" program. He had two caring, loving parents, who had a lot of professional help. No miracle cures, just old-fashioned TLC.
Posted by: wheatdogg | October 6, 2008 6:48 AM
Try this: http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/10/jenny_mccarthy_gets_rickrolld.php
Posted by: Joe | October 6, 2008 6:46 PM
From PZ:
http://www.site.stopjenny.com
Posted by: wheatdogg | October 18, 2008 7:30 AM
I just finished Offit's book.
I must say I liked his writing style, which kept me wanting to keep turning the pages so as to find out what the next section had to say.
Speaking scientifically, I was a little put out that there was not more reference to the medical evidence/science, but at least it was fully referenced and it didn't take much to work out what reference went with which statemant in the text. I guess as a book aimed for a lay audience it was nicely weighted - enough reference to scientific evidence without becoming a turgid, boring turn-off so it remained a readable and "racy" narrative.
I thought he went a bit to much "ad hom" in the section of "behind the mercury curtain", but that in itself is a minor criticism of what overall was a great book.
As someone who is not based in the US, it was nice to get a feel for how vaccine compensation/court cases work in practice.
I am only sorry that he didn't get a chance to talk about the Schoemaker/Seidel incident, or the Hannah Poling case, but hopefully he will do an update for another edition or expand this when the paperback comes out.
Posted by: DT | October 22, 2008 8:17 AM
BTW, I see that Jenny is now claiming her son is cured of autism.
http://www.usmagazine.com/news/jenny-mccarthy-my-son-is-no-longer-autistic#comment-831921
Posted by: DT | October 22, 2008 11:32 AM
tara tires...
it's been a while since we had anything to talk about...
Posted by: pat | October 26, 2008 6:52 PM
Yeah, simply because all denialists like you want to talk about is how HIV doesn't cause AIDS. I think you guys are tiring, to say the least. I read some of the old threads recently, you guys are batshit crazy!
Posted by: Frank | October 30, 2008 12:49 PM
This seems to the be most understood affliction of our age. But as parents, I can see their desperation ... and it has become pandemic ...
Posted by: Robert V Sobczak | November 2, 2008 1:39 AM
very good blog, some how i found you researching on stuff for our sons birth defect esophageal atresia, i wish you the best.
Posted by: kayla | November 3, 2008 11:00 PM
Autism linked with rainfall in study
Posted by: Trin Tragula | November 4, 2008 12:48 PM
So Jenny McCarthy is a blonde quasi-celebrity and therefore an easy target for snarky quasi-intellectuals. So what. The fact that she's taking on the issue publically has people talking about autism that would have never given it a second thought before. Many parents like me trust the concept of vaccination but don't trust Merck. I trust that makes us a target of your snark as well.
Posted by: Lara | December 21, 2008 10:46 PM
hi. I am actually looking for parents to talk to about autistic children, and even Jenny mac. herself.I have worked with Aut. individuals for 37 years and had a young boy of 3 that displayed 99%of autistic characteristics. From self abusiveness, fears of everything in his world, catatonic states lasting up to 3to4 hours at a time. I call him my miracle child .Today he is nine and displays a few anxious behaviors. I also know of a product that has decreased mercury levels of 52 to 12 .Recently they have claimed in some studies that mercury levels are high in autistic ind.. True or Faults?? Hope you can help.
Posted by: claudiatomczak | February 22, 2009 8:13 PM
Yeah, simply because all denialists like you want to talk about is how HIV doesn't cause AIDS. I think you guys are tiring, to say the least. I read some of the old threads recently, you guys are batshit crazy!
Posted by: medyum | May 4, 2009 5:25 AM